Try one and see. For me, they are nice, and the folks at BW have a great reputation, but it's not my favorite longbow. A friend of mine has one due in soon--shoot me an e-mail and we'll try to set up a time where you can both come by my place and shoot his new BW, and maybe a couple other longbows.
As for shipping, I've had hundreds of bows shipped to me in cardboard boxes, and I've shipped hundreds all over the world in cardboard boxes, and to date I've never had one damaged. Proper packing goes a long way.
Chad